Disclaimer: Well, I only own the new characters. The rest don't, and you all should know who they belong to by now.

AN: Well, it's been a while cause I've gotten sidetracked quite a bit lately but here is another chapter for y'all. And PLEASE REVIEW! PLEASE!!!!!

Chapter 23: The Master Plan

As Billy drove along toward her apartment, he thought about his relationship with Cestria. Wow, this is weird. I never thought she would seem more like a sister than a friend. He stopped his skid in front of the apartment and got off. She let them in and headed for her bedroom to pack some things. Billy stood to the side and waited. "Would you like me to help?"

Cestria poked her head out of her room and nodded to the closet inside her main door. "You can get my computer bag and put my computer and my work in it." She disappeared from view and her voice floated out to him. "My work should be in a pile on my desk. They are in the file folders marked with a blue pen."

Billy turned to the desk after retrieving the bag from the closet and laughed. "You're just as bad as I am Ces!" He headed over to the crowded desk and searched for the file folders she needed. After putting the computer and folders into the bag, he zipped it up and turned back towards the door. She was putting a bag down and turning back towards her room to retrieve her other one. "My desk back home is just as crowded as yours is."

She walked back pout of her room with a smaller bag. "I'm ready. And as for my desk, I know exactly where everything is. It is only that crowded because I have been very busy lately!" She picked up her other bag and let Billy hold the door open for her. "Thanks."

Billy smiled and locked the door before closing it. "Well, you can take a bag on your skid and I will take the rest on mine." They strapped the bags on and started their skids. "You ready?"

Cestria nodded and smiled. "As ready as I'll ever be! You want me to lead?"

Billy nodded. "Yeah, that way I can see if anything happens on the way." After she nodded, they headed for his apartment. They arrived with no problems. He unlocked the door and they carried her stuff in. As he was locking the door behind them, she sighed. "What's wrong?"

Cestria looked at him. "Well, are you sure this is okay with you? I mean, you are living in a one-bedroom apartment. Where are each of us going to sleep?" She sat down in a chair as Billy took her bags into his bedroom.

Billy set her bags down on his bed and made some room in his dresser for her clothes before heading back into his living room. "You can have the bedroom. I am used to sleeping on the couch. I often fall asleep there at home so it won't bother me." He smiled as he remembered waking up some mornings to find his dad had covered him up sometime in the night.

"Okay Billy. But first can I make you a drink to thank you?" Cestria headed towards his kitchen with a smile.

Billy immediately began to worry. "No thanks, I think I've had enough for tonight. I'll just get some water."

"No, I insist. I was supposed to buy you a drink but we were interrupted. You and Niko somehow managed to pay the bill so I owe you one. Besides, if you can't handle it, then you still have the whole day to let the hangover pass." She smiled and walked into the kitchen.

Billy shook his head and sat down. "Hey, how come whenever we go out, you always get me a hard drink? You know I don't like that." He stared as she brought two tall glasses out and set one in front of him. He took a deep breath and picked it up. "Ok, so how strong is this going to be?"

Cestria smiled and took a sip of hers. "It won't be as bad as you think because I added a bit of flavoring to it. But it has a lot of hard stuff in it."

Billy shook his head again and took a sip. The hard liquor burned his throat and made him cough but then he smiled. "Wow, it taste just like a strawberry smoothie from Ernie's!"

Cestria laughed and smiled. "I remembered that you mentioned that Trini and you happened to have them when you were studying for major tests." She watched him take a few big sips. "Careful, too much at one time can really affect you."

Billy smiled. "Why not? I have tomorrow off don't I?" As she nodded, he took another sip. "Well then, it will be my mistake then if I drink too much!"

Cestria shrugged and took another sip of her drink. "Okay, but you are asking for it!" She looked around his living room and sighed. "So, what do we do now?"

Billy set his drink aside and pushed his chair, sofa, and his end table into the corners of the room. "Well, if you help me move the furniture out of the way, we can dance."

"Absolutely!" Cestria smiled and moved her chair into another corner of the room but then stood still. "What about the music?"

Billy held up a hand. "Just let me get to it." As she laughed, he went into his bedroom and brought out his music player. He set it on a stand and turned it on before joining her in the middle of the room. "It's not your music but it is nice music from Earth."

"As long as I can dance to it, I don't mind." She smiled as they danced. "Thanks for everything Billy. This means a lot to me."

Billy smiled. "Hey, it was nothing I wouldn't do for my sisters back home. Besides, With Mika always with Niko, who else would watch out for you!" He ducked as she playfully smacked his head.

Cestria laughed. "Well, it's good to know that I have such good friends, even if you are from another planet." She sighed and looked away.

Billy stopped and moved away from her. "Are you alright?" AS she nodded and smiled, he began to dance again. "If you are sure."

Cestria smiled. "I am fine Billy. It's just that I am still trying to get over this whole thing with Orean, holding the key, and just trying to act as if nothing has changed." She stopped dancing and looked up at him. "What made you believe Orean was the right one?"

Billy smiled. "I could see it in his face. I didn't feel any bad vibes from him and the face he had when looking at you could only be described as a lovesick puppy."

Cestria blushed and smiled. "Well, thank you, I really am glad you were there." She gave him a kiss on the cheek and stepped back. "I'm going to get another drink, would you like another one?"

Billy smiled as he finished his drink. "I would but I think I will get them this time." He took her glass and headed into the kitchen. A few minutes later, he came back out with a blue liquid in their glasses. "Here ya go! Trust me, it is alcoholic. Let's just say it is your equivalent to Earth's long Island Iced Tea."

Cestria looked at him confused. "What is so bad about an iced tea?"

Billy laughed. "Well, a long island iced tea is mad up of many different types of alcohol and is one of the strongest drinks my dad showed me how to make."

Cestria smiled and took a sip. "Wow, that IS strong!" She smiled as she sat down to enjoy her drink. "So how come you know how to make this?"

Billy sighed. "Well, my dad and my uncles always liked to get together around the holidays and since they were too busy catching up, I had to do something so they taught me how to mix drinks so they wouldn't have to miss out on the good stuff." Billy put his glass down and smiled.

Cestria laughed as Billy's speaking slowly took on a slur. "Billy, I think you are getting drunk. I can hear you slurring!"

Billy nodded and could feel the drunkenness setting in. Speaking slowly, Billy tried to pronounce each work properly. "Ces, can a being wear their bonding robe outside their basic purpose?" He asked the question that had been on his mind for the past couple of days.

She thought about what she was taught about them. "Well, since you are a ranger from another planet, then you should be allowed to wear it for anything you deem worthy of such importance for you. Why?"

Billy shrugged and slowly spoke. "I was just wondering." He looked at his watch and stood up. After falling back down, he grabbed a hold of the stand next to him. "I think we should head to bed."

Cestria grabbed his arm to help him stand and stood up. "You take the bed, you are too drunk!" As she led him towards the bedroom, he stopped. "Come on! I will do the dishes while you change."

Billy tried to object but was forced into the bedroom only to find the door close behind him. "Oh man, I give up Ces. But don't come whining to me if I wake you up while running for the bathroom!" He changed into his pajamas and went to bed.

Around three in the morning, Cestria woke up to the sound of someone running to the bathroom. She walked over to the doorway and saw Billy getting sick. "Are you ok?" She knelt down next to him and put a hand on his shoulder. It was then that she noticed his shirt was off. "Where is your shirt? You will get cold without it!"

Billy shivered as he sat against the cold wall. "I took it off around twelve thirty when I woke up sweating. My shirt was soaked."

Cestria helped him stand up and led him back to the bedroom. As he sat back down on the bed, she searched for a shirt and gave him the first one she found. "Put this on, it will help a little."

Billy did as told and smiled. "Thanks." He saw her smiled as he slid back under the covers and fell off to sleep. "Too bad you couldn't meet Trini, you two would be such great friends and you are so much alike."

Cestria watched him fall asleep before heading back out to the couch. Well, maybe that will happen some day. She closed her eyes as an idea formed in her mind. Now, let's hope he doesn't have his device locked tomorrow morning! She smiled as she drifted off to sleep.